Book index unit



E. BERARD BOOK INDEX UNIT Nov. 7, 1967 Filed June 17, 1966 Edmund Berard IN VENTOA.

d8 BY M40161 26 WWW a M35 United States Patent 3,3503% Patented Nov. 7, 1967 hi-ice 3,350,801 BOOK INDEX UNIT Edmund Berard, 4444 S. Mission Road, Tucson, Ariz. 85714 Filed June 17, 1966, Ser. No. 558,461 Claims. (Cl. 40-43) The present invention generally appertains to improvements in devices for use in connection with indexing books, such as telephone or the like directories, and, more particularly, relates to new and novel improvements in index units for attachment to selected pages of a book to facilitate ready opening of the book to a desired place and to accommodate reference information or other data pertinent to such pages and associated subsequent pages which are related in some common manner.

Index units for directories are known which are attached to the outer marginal edges of selected pages of a book. Such units generally comprise a single strip of material that is secured on one face of the marginal edge of a page or is folded upon itself and secured to the opposing faces of the marginal edge. The strip has a tab pro ect ing therefrom and extending beyond the marginal edges of the pages of the book when it is closed. The strip is formed to accommodate advertising data and reference information, such as names, addresses and telephone numbers in the instance of a telephone directory. The tab is provided with a reference character which, in the instance of a telephone directory, would be a letter of the alphabet corresponding to the initial letter of the listing of names on the page to which the strip is afiixed. The strip is usually secured by adhesive or the like in position on the one face or both faces of the outer marginal edge of the page.

Another well known index unit includes a strip which transversely overlies one face of a page and has an inner end that is adhesived to the face with the major portion of the strip being hingedly related to the secured inner end and having an outer tab end that projects beyond the marginal edge of the page.

In all of such types, which are generally representative of the prior art, the index units are fixed to the pages of a book in a manner so that the outer marginal edges of the pages are involved and so that the tabs extend from the marginal edges of the pages in staggered relation from the top to the bottom of the book when the book is closed.

It is customary, when opening a book, provided with such known index units, to grasp the tab of a desired page and to open the book to such selected page by using the tab or to grip the tab in one hand and flip or turn other pages of the book to reach such desired page by handling the top edges or side or outer marginal edges of the other pages. This results in tearing the tab or in bending the marginal edges or top edges of the pages.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide an index unit for a page of a book that will not be damaged in use and that is attached to the pages in such a way as to constitute finger-grip means for opening a book to a selected place without bending or otherwise damaging the outer edges of the pages of the book.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an index unit that is adapted to be attached to the top of edge of a page adjacent the outer marginal edge in a manner to reinforce the top edge and the corner of the page and to be used as a means for manually selecting a page without damaging the index unit or the page.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an index unit that is adapted to be affixed to the top edge of a page in a way so that it is securely affixed thereto and reinforces the top edge and the upper corner of the page and in a manner so that the printed portions longitudinally extending,

at the top of both faces of the page can be exposed to view.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an index unit that is adapted to be secured to the top edge of a leaf or page of a book and is provided with a tab that projects beyond the outer marginal edge of the page, so that with a series of units attached to selected and spaced apart pages of a book the tabs are arranged one behind the other in a substantially overlying fashion, whereby they coact to protect each other from damage through rough handling of the book when closed but yet will be easily individually discernible to enable the hook to be readily opened to the desired page.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a simple and sturdy index unit for the leaf or page of a book which unit can be inexpensively manufactured and easily attached to a page in a secure manner and which serves as an indexing member and, also, as means for accommodating reference data and advertising information.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an upper corner of a book with an index unit secured to one of the pages and shown, partly in full and partly in dotted lines, in perspective;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view, showing the index unit ready to be attached to the top edge of a page; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the blank for the index unit.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the index unit 10 is formed from a blank or single strip 12 that is made out of paper, cloth, plastic or other suitable inexpensive but sturdy material. The blank or strip can be of any desired shape or size but preferably, as shown in FIGURE 4, is rectangular.

The blank 12 has a face 14 and is provided with a substantially centrally disposed fold line 16 and the longitudinal central portion of the face, through which the fold line 16 passes, is provided with a suitable adhesive 18. In this respect, the longitudinal central portion may be gummed to be moistened or may have an adhesive substance, which will adhere to a leaf or page of a book under pressure, or any known selfadhering means may be associated with. such portion of the blank face 14.

The fold line 12 divides the blank into two connected longitudinal sections 20 and 22, which are of similar dimensions, as shown in FIGURE 4. However, the fold line 16, if it is not centrally disposed, could divide the blank into connected longitudinal sections of dilferent dimensions.

The blank 12 has an end portion 24 which is composed of an inner transverse portion 26 and a transverse outer portion 28 joined to the portion 26 by a fold line 30 disposed transversely of the blank. The portion 28 is in two parts, being divided by a projection 32 which extends from the portion 26 and which projects beyond the portion 28 and is disposed axially of the blank. The projection 32 is integral with the portion 26 and is associated with that part of such portion 26 which lies transversely of the longitudinal section 20.

The longitudinal fold line 16 passes through the portions 26 and 28 which constitute outer ends for the sec- 3 tions 20 and 22. The portion 26 is provided on the face 14 of the blank with an adhesive and the portion 28 is folded, about the fold line 30, over onto the adhesive face of the portion 26. The projection 32 then extends from the end of the portion 28, as shown in FIGURE 3, and constitutes an indexing tab. The sections 2%) and 22 are folded over, about the fold line 16, into the related positions, as shown in FIGURE 3.

It can be appreciated that the folded and adhered portions 26 and 28 of the blank constitute reinforced outer ends 20a and 22a for the sections 20 and 22 of the index unit. The sections define hingedly connected sides of the index unit it with the index unit being of one piece construction and having the sections or sides 20 and 22 connected by the fold line 16. The inner faces of the sections are defined by the face 14 of the blank 12 so that portions of the inner faces of the sides or sections 20 and 22 at the fold line 16 are provided with the adhesive 18 or are gummed.

The projection or tab 32 extends from the outer reinforced end 20a of the side or section 20 and has an outer face 34 provided with a suitable indexing character 36.

The outer face 38 of the side or section 20 is adapted to accommodate advertising indicia and reference information. In this regard, the face 38 may have advertising 40 printed thereon and may have a lined and ruled space 4-2 printed thereon with the desired information to be filled in such space by a user. Of course, the face 38 may be formed to receive separable or removable cards or the like which would be the equivalent of the printed advertising and information spaces 40 and 42.

It can be appreciated, with regard to FIGURE 3, that, after the reinforced outer ends 20a and 22a for the sides or sections 20 and 22 are formed by bringing the end portions 26 and 28 into superimposed, adhesively secured relation, the index unit It) will be comprised of the hingedly connected sides or sections 20 and 22 with the reinforced outer ends. The tab 32 will project from the outer end 20a of the side or section 20 which has the advertising and information spaces or parts 40 and 42 on its outer visible face 38.

The strip 12 is attached to the topedge 44 of a page 46 of a directory or similar book 48 by positioning the sections 20 and 22 over the top edge, as shown in FIG- URE 3. The adhesive or gummed portions of the inner faces of the sides or sections will engage the opposing faces of the top edge of the page 46 and will be pressed thereagainst to secure the sides 20 and 22 over the top edge.

The sides or sections 20 and 22 will be securely affixed to the top edge 44 of the page 46 only at the portions adjacent the fold line 16 so that the sections are unattached to the faces of the page 46 and can be raised up from the faces of the page if they might tend to overlie anything printed or appearing on the faces of the page 46.

The reinforced ends 20a and 22a of the sections 20 and 22 will overlie the upper ends of the faces of the marginal edge 50 and will not only reinforce the sections 20 and 22 and the upper end of the marginal edge 50 of the book page 46, but, also, will provide firm anchorage for the tab 32. The ends 20a and 29b terminate at the marginal edge so that they do not extend beyond it or overlap it.

With a series of units 10, each will be secured to a desired page of a book, in the manner described and as shown in FIGURE 3, so that the tabs 32 will overlie each other for protective purposes but each tab will be readily discernible by merely flipping the tabs back until the desired one is seen.

Of course, it is to be understood that the tabs can be formed on a number or series of strips in a manner so that each tab extends from an end 20a of a strip section 20 at a different distance from the upper or fold edge and the lower edge of the side section 20. Thus, the tabs would not be in an exact overlying relation but would be in a somewhat staggered relation in their placement relative to the vertical extent of the marginal edge of a page or edges of a number of pages.

The index unit 10 can be manually grasped, it being in a position on the page that it is quite normal for a person to handle, and used to turn or flip the pages of the book in locating the desired page of the book. The unit 10 will not be subject to tearing or other destruction and, since it will serve as the means to flip or turn the pages, the marginal edges and top edges of the pages of the book will not be damaged, as is the case in the use of known index units.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An index unit for a book with a page having opposing faces and provided with a top edge and an outer marginal edge adjoining the top edge and forming therewith an upper corner of the page; said index unit comprising a strip folded upon itself to provide opposing sections, said strip being positioned over the top edge of the page with the fold substantially in contact with the top edge and the sections overlying the faces of the portion of the page at the top edge in contact therewith and extending up to the marginal edge at the upper corner of the page, means carried by the strip for securing it to the page and an index tab carried by one of the sections and adapted to project laterally beyond the marginal edge of the page.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said sections of the strip have inner faces and said securing means includes an adhesive means provided on the inner faces in the immediate vicinity of the fold and adapted to adhere to the faces of the page at the top edge whereby the major portions of the inner faces are unattached to the faces of the page and can be raised out of contact therewith.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein one of said sections has an outer face provided with information data having a correlation with matter on the page of the book.

4. The invention of claim 2 wherein said sections have reinforced outer ends which reinforce the marginal edge of the page with the tab extending from said ends and projecting laterally beyond the marginal edge of the page.

5. The invention of claim 2 wherein said sections have reinforced outer ends which reinforce the marginal edge of the page with the tab extending from one of said ends and projecting laterally beyond the marginal edge of the page and said tab being integral with said one of said ends.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 486,755 11/1892 Bowman 40-23 1,069,828 8/1913 Taylor 4023 1,614,838 1/1927 Gorin 4023 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. J. CONTRERAS, Examiner. 

1. AN INDEX UNIT FOR A BOOK WITH A PAGE HAVING OPPOSING FACES AND PROVIDED WITH A TOP EDGE AND AN OUTER MARGINAL EDGE ADJOINING THE TOP EDGE AND FORMING THEREWITH AN UPPER CORNER OF THE PAGE; SAID INDEX UNIT COMPRISING A STRIP FOLDED UPON ITSELF TO PROVIDE OPPOSING SECTIONS, SAID STRIP BEING POSITIONED OVER THE TOP EDGE OF THE PAGE WITH THE FOLD SUBSTANTIALLY IN CONTACT WITH THE TOP EDGE AND THE SECTIONS OVERLYING THE FACES OF THE PORTION OF THE PAGE AT THE TOP EDGE IN CONTACT THEREWITH AND EXTENDING UP TO THE MARGINAL EDGE AT THE UPPER CORNER OF THE PAGE, MEANS CARRIED BY THE STRIP FOR SECURING IT TO THE PAGE AND AN INDEX TAB CARRIED BY ONE OF THE SECTIONS AND ADAPTED TO PROJECT LATERALLY BEYOND THE MARGINAL EDGE OF THE PAGE. 